Generals stop shutout streak, can't stop Komets

FORT WAYNE, Ind. --- It took the Flint Generals less than two minutes Wednesday to snap the longest shutout streak of the International Hockey League season.

Unfortunately for the Generals, that was the only streak they could end.

After scoring just 1:41 into the game to stop goaltender Kevin Reiter's scoreless streak at 181 minutes, 41 seconds, the Generals watched the Fort Wayne Komets score two short-handed goals and one on the power play en route to a 4-2 victory before 5,791 at Allen County War Memorial Coliseum.

In hiking their winning streak to four games, the Komets (25-9-3-1) moved seven points ahead of the Generals, who have three games in hand.

Flint (19-7-3-6) struck first, scoring the first goal against Reiter in four games when Michel Beausoleil (18) connected 1:41 after referee Jarrod Ragusin dropped the puck to start the game.

Michel Beausoleil
Point in 9th straight game

But goals by Sergei Durdin (5) and David Hukalo gave Fort Wayne a 2-1 lead heading to the second period.

John DiPace (12) scored on a power play for Flint early in the second to tie it before Hukalo (8) tallied again while short-handed to give the Komets a lead they wouldn't relinquish. Guy Dupuis (9) added another shortie for the Komets in the third to finish the scoring.

The Komets lead the IHL in short-handed goals with eight while Flint's 12 short-handed goals allowed are easily the most in the league. Muskegon is second with nine.

Reiter, whose three straight shutouts were a first in the 55-year history of Fort Wayne pro hockey, finished with 32 saves. Generals counterpart Eric Marvin, playing for the 19th time in 21 games, made 28 saves.

It was just the second regulation loss on the road for the Generals, who are still the IHL's top team away from home with a record of 8-2-1-3 (.714). Fort Wayne is the top team at home with a 16-3-2 mark.

There was some good news for the Generals. They remained eight points ahead of third-place Port Huron after the Icehawks were beaten 5-2 by Muskegon.

Immediately after the game, the Generals left by bus for Bloomington, where they'll face the Prairie Thunder Friday and Saturday at U.S. Cellular Coliseum.

In General: Beausoleil had a point for the ninth straight game, the longest active streak in the IHL. ... Fort Wayne leads the series between the IHL's top teams 3-1. ... Jordan Fox was back in the Generals' lineup after spending the weekend in the American Hockey League. ... Flint played without injured forwards Greg Bullock and Jared Dumba.